Once Upon a Timeless
by ssirius-blackk
Summary: A freak lightning storm strands the Timeless team in the Enchanted Forest, where they meet the mysterious Dark One. But will he help them?
1. Chapter 1

Lucy kept her eyes shut tightly as the Lifeboat shook more violently than usual. She could feel her stomach churn heavily and her heart pound against her chest. It felt like her usual anxieties when it came to the time machine were multiplied ten-fold. Despite the straps restraining her to her seat, Lucy could feel her entire body push against them with every jarring of the Lifeboat.

The machine started to shake even more, if that was possible. An electric current flowed through, shocking every nerve Lucy had. She couldn't feel anything - not her hands, feet, stomach, _anything._

Suddenly, they stopped moving. She slowly opened her eyes and saw that her knuckles were white and tense as she gripped her seat. Lucy looked up and saw Wyatt and Rufus were as shell-shocked as she felt.

They unstrapped from their seats and began to pile out of the Lifeboat. They all tripped and stumbled, as if unsure they could walk. Wyatt looked more sick than he usually did, falling on top of a strange, dark colored rock. He scrambled to his feet, waving off Lucy and Rufus' concerns. When they finally climbed out of the machine and stood on firm ground, they took note of their surroundings.

They were in a forest with impossibly tall trees and fragrant plants. The light shone green and yellow and there was a strange… _buzzing_ in the air, something that shot through them like an electric current. Lucy shivered at the eerie feeling. It was quiet all around, no animals or birds roaming about.

"Where the hell are we?" Wyatt finally asked.

Lucy shook her head, the place wholly unfamiliar to her. They turned to Rufus, who shrugged. "I have no idea _when_ we are, to be honest," he replied. "All I know is that, unfortunately, the circuits are fried and the Lifeboat needs to be recharged."

Wyatt groaned and ran a hand over his face. He started to pace, the wheels in his head clearly turning rapidly as he tried to figure out what to do. "What happened? _How_ did this happen?" he demanded.

"Flynn was taking off when an electric storm hit close to Castle Varlar," Rufus explained. "I was able to find out where he was going just as we got in the Lifeboat, but that same storm hit us and…we landed here…wherever 'here' is."

"Could we be in the past? Like… the Neolithic Age?" Lucy wondered.

Rufus shook his head. "Nothing on the screen says that we're _that_ far back. We're maybe…I don't know…thirty years back from the present?"

"But you just said you have no idea _when_ we are, Rufus!" Wyatt yelled.

Lucy and Rufus jumped in surprise. The situation was less than ideal, but it didn't call for Wyatt to be short with their pilot.

"I know what I said, Wyatt," Rufus said calmly. "But I'm not entirely sure about…well, _anything_ , right now. I only know what the computer told me, and it doesn't have a location. Just the year."

Wyatt pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly trying to contain his anger. Finally, he nodded in understanding. Taking a deep breath, he looked up at the other two apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that," he apologized. "This is all so… _weird_ , even for us. And we deal in time travel!"

Lucy walked towards him and rested a reassuring hand on his arm. Wyatt sighed and reached for her hand, giving it a quick squeeze.

"Come on, let's take a look around." She suggested.

The boys nodded in agreement and they made their way through the forest before them.

* * *

After a few hours of walking and finding absolutely nothing, the trio found a quiet clearing and decided to rest for a bit.

Rufus stuck his hands in his pockets and started to rock back and forth on his heels. Lucy sat on the ground, playing with blades of grass as Wyatt constantly switched from leaning against a tree to pacing a trench into the ground. It had been quiet and tense between the trio for hours as they all tried to figure out a way to help Rufus fix and recharge the machine with nothing but sticks and sunlight.

"This is pointless! We're never going to get out of this creepy ass forest!" Wyatt yelled. He was strangely agitated, panicky almost.

Lucy and Rufus exchanged worried glances. Ever since Wyatt had found out about the identity of his wife's killer, he had been...off. But not in the in the broody way one would expect, but in a barely contained coil of energy sort of way. It was like watching a starved, caged predator just waiting to pounce.

Lucy released the grass from her fingers and stood up. She walked over to him to calm him down. "Of course, we're going to get out of here. If we can get out of 1754, we can get out of…wherever or whenever this place is."

She turned to Rufus, hoping he would say something positive and reassuring. He was the pilot after all, and he _has_ gotten them out of worse scrapes before. At least they weren't being chased by French soldiers and Native American warriors.

Rufus sighed and ran a hand over his face. "I wish there was some…magical solution to all our problems," he muttered.

"Well, it just so happens that _I_ deal in such matters."

The three jumped in surprise. Wyatt reached for his gun and pulled it out, while Lucy and Rufus slowly moved behind him.

Before them stood a man. Not really a _man_ per say, but a scaled, golden-green creature that looked like a man. He wore silk and different types of leather, all cut to fit his form. His hair was brown and crimped and reached the base of his neck. His eyes were reptilian that stared at them with calculated glee.

"Who the hell are you?" Wyatt asked authoritatively.

The man giggled. "Now, now, no need to point that... _thing_ at me. Isn't it obvious who I am?"

His gaze moved over each of them, his eerie smile still gracing his lips. "Though, looking closely at the three of you, I suppose you _don't_ know off-hand."

The man then bowed with an exaggerated flourish as he introduced himself. "Rumplestiltskin, at your service." He rolled his R's, which seemed oddly paired with his apparently Scottish accent.

Rufus and Wyatt exchanged a look. Lucy tilted her head, her dark eyebrows crunched quizzically. Her world folklore was a bit rusty, but she could recall that Rumplestiltskin was a German fairytale about an imp who spun straw into gold and didn't give out his name so readily.

"Rumplestiltskin?" she repeated.

"That is my name, dearie. Although, most refer to me as 'The Dark One'," Rumplestiltskin said.

They exchanged confused glances once again. The trio had found themselves in weird situations before, but this one took the cake.

"Obviously, you're not from around here," Rumplestiltskin muttered. "In any event, I'm here to help. For a price, of course."

"And how do you propose to help us? Do you even know what we need help _with?_ " Wyatt asked.

Rumplestiltskin giggled again. "I'm sure whatever assistance you may need, I can offer. Of course, I will need something in return."

"How do you intend on helping us?" Lucy wondered. "And how do you want us to...um, I guess, repay you?"

The Dark One's smile widened. Ever so slowly, he started to encircle the trio. He stilled eerily, seemingly frozen, and then, with a dramatic flourish purple smoke appeared around them. They were ready to protest when the smoke disappeared. Their 40s wardrobe transformed to a mixture of medieval and regency era clothing. The materials were rich and soft, although Lucy felt ridiculous wearing such a large skirt, even more so than when they went to 1865. She looked around and saw Rufus was in a dark colored Regency suit that fit him well, while Wyatt looked like a ridiculous nobleman during the French Revolution as he held his modern gun. She bit her lip to keep from giggling.

"Why, with magic, of course!" Rumplestiltskin said. "You simply need to tell me what you need, and I shall give it to you. Then I shall decide what you three owe me in return."

With a snap of his fingers, the smoke returned and their old clothes returned.

Wyatt finally lowered his weapon. He gestured to Lucy and Rufus closer and they huddled together.

"Do you think this guy is for real?" Rufus whispered. "I mean, I know he just performed magic and stuff, but...do you think we could...sort of trust him?"

They were quiet for a moment as they seriously considered the answer to his question. Lucy shrugged and looked at Wyatt. He looked...strange. More agitated. Sweat was dripping down his face and his skin was a deathly pale veins started to pop up out of his skin, thickly outlined in dark blue. He was shaking like he was extremely cold.

"Wyatt, are you alright?" she asked. She started to reach for him when he jerked back.

"What? I'm fine," he replied. "It's just so damn _hot…_ "

"Wyatt, you don't look fine," Rufus added.

" _I said I'm fine!_ " Wyatt yelled.

"Oh no, dearie, you don't look well _at all_ ," Rumplestiltskin observed. "Tell me...where were the three of you travelling from?"

Lucy decided to trust this weird little man. She pointed to the direction they came from.

"Was there a stone, dark in color? No life all around?" he asked.

Lucy and Rufus nodded.

"Your friend here is very sick, we'll need to go to my castle for a cure."

Before they could say anything, they were engulfed in yet another puff of smoke.


	2. Chapter 2

The Mother Ship sat smoking and hissing in the middle of an extremely large garden. It stood facing a castle, one even grander and more sinister looking than the one they just left behind.

"Where the hell are we, Anthony?" Garcia Flynn demanded.

The older man shrugged. "I haven't a clue. That storm that hit just as we were taking off somehow messed with the computer. All I know is that we're technically in the late 80s. I can't get a location."

Flynn groaned and ran a hand over his face frustratedly. For once, he had no idea what to do. He worked better with facts, despite what his enemies might believe. He always had a method to his madness, a strategy always in place. But now, there was nothing. All of his training couldn't prepare him for their particular situation.

"Can you fix it?" Flynn finally asked.

"Of course," Anthony replied. He looked back at the smoking machine, sighing and scratching his head. "It'll take some time, however."

Flynn nodded in his usually stiff, militaristic fashion, and Anthony had to repress the urge to salute. He settled on a return nod - although it probably looked more awkward compared to Flynn - and hurried inside the Mother Ship to begin his work.

With a heavy sigh, Flynn started to pace. Realizing that the action was making him more agitated, he stopped, closed his eyes and took a few deep, calming and controlled breaths.

When he opened his eyes, a tiny woman with dark brown hair and bright blue eyes stood before him. She wore a blue dress that did not correspond with the time period Anthony told him they were in. The outfit reminded Flynn of one of those ridiculous fantasy movies from the 80s. He looked around to see if there was a camera crew around. When he couldn't find so much as a random camera, he returned his attention back to the woman. She stared up at him with wide-eyed concern mixed with apprehension.

"Hello, can I help you with something?" she greeted.

Flynn gave her a blank look as he tried to figure out what to do. The woman stood up on her toes and looked over his shoulder, apparently taking notice of the Mother Ship.

"What is that?" she asked.

"Uh…" Flynn muttered.

"It's rather unusual, even for this place," the woman commented, walking around him and going towards the machine.

Suddenly, he caught the woman's arm, gripping her tightly. The woman gasped in pain as she glared at him.

"Take your hands off me!" she demanded, jerking his hand off. But he was much stronger than her, despite her efforts. He could see that she was starting to get scared, but she kept trying to get out of his grip.

Just like Lucy Preston.

The comparison surprised him, and he immediately let go of the woman. The woman rubbed her arm as she continued to glare up at him.

"If you didn't want me near it, you could've asked me politely!" she said angrily. She glanced at the Mother Ship again, her features visibly relaxing. Then she returned her gaze back to Flynn. "How did you get on the castle grounds? I thought Rumplestiltskin had protection spells."

Flynn cocked his head to the side. Rumplestiltskin? As in the fairy tale he used to read to his daughter, with his wife lingering at the bedroom threshold. Flynn shook the memories out of his head. It wouldn't do to dwell on _them_ now. Not now.

"Where are we?" he wondered.

The woman scrunched her eyebrows quizzically. "The Dark Castle," she replied cautiously. "Where do you think we are?"

Anthony wandered back to them, looking more grim than usual. He cast a curious glance to the woman. He opened his mouth to introduce himself when Flynn interrupted and demanded an update.

"The batteries are fine, but I need to fix the computer. It's literally smoking now," he informed him. He glanced back at the woman. "Who's this?" he asked.

"Belle. My name is Belle," the woman introduced herself.

Flynn and Anthony shared a look of surprise. "Belle? As in the fairytale princess?" Anthony whispered.

Flynn shrugged. "We're apparently on the property of one Rumplestiltskin," he whispered back.

"Seriously?"

"If you two are done whispering," the woman, Belle, announced. "I'll take you to the castle. Perhaps you can find something there that could help you. Or, if you're really desperate, you can talk to my… to the master of the castle."

After a long moment of silence, Anthony and Flynn nodded to each other and to the woman.

"Lead the way," Flynn said with a small smile.

* * *

Rufus and Lucy had spent the last twenty minutes in silence as they watched the scaled magician work in front of a large, black cauldron. Wyatt was unceremoniously placed on a long wooden table, breathing heavily and mumbling incoherently. Lucy wiped the sweat from his brow with a handkerchief she had found in her pocket. Rufus wandered around the laboratory, glancing at the different instruments, liquids, books and other objects that seemed wholly out of place.

"So tell me, dearies. Where do you and your strange clothes come from?" Rumplestiltskin asked as he mixed one mysteriously colored compound with another.

Lucy and Rufus exchanged uncertain looks. They silently tried to decide what and how much they should tell the strange man.

"Fine, fine, don't tell me," Rumpelstiltskin said flippantly. "However, if you want my help with that other matter - whatever it is - you'll need to tell me _something._ "

Lucy gnawed on her lips. Rufus ducked his head and returned his attention to a row of glowing pink bottles.

"We...we got caught in a lightning storm," Lucy began. "And we somehow landed in that grove. He fell on that rock you asked us about. Then we wandered around and then you appeared."

Rumplestiltskin raised a skeptical eyebrow then he shrugged. "I suppose you're telling the truth. Not _all_ of it, obviously."

She managed to give him a half smile before returning her attentions to her fallen friend. She was about to wipe some sweat from Wyatt's when she heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs to the laboratory. Lucy glanced up and saw a incredibly beautiful, dark haired woman wearing a blue dress.

When the woman reached the top of the stairs, she raised both eyebrows at the sight of the trio.

"What do you want, dearie?" Rumplestiltskin asked roughly.

The woman turned her attention to him, placing her hands on her hips and lifted her chin up defiantly. It was clear that whoever this woman was, she was barely afraid of this man.

"I wish you would call me Belle. I only came up here to tell you that you have guests," She looked over the room's current occupants. "Well, _additional_ guests, it seems," she amended.

Rumplestiltskin mumbled something about "impertinent maids" and "why does everyone always come to me with their problems at the same time?" as he finished whatever he was mixing together. He ladled and poured it into a small glass bottle and thrust it into Lucy's hands.

"Pour five drops down his throat. He should feel normal in five minutes. I'll return to check on him later," he ordered as he followed the woman down the stairs. "And make sure he doesn't move until I see him!" he called over his shoulder.

It was silent once again. Rufus and Lucy exchanged confused looks.

"Well that was...something," Lucy commented.

Rufus nodded in agreement. "Yeah. There was a lot of tension in the room, and I don't think it had anything to do with us, and whoever else is here."

Lucy also nodded. She ushered Rufus over to help her lift Wyatt's head so she could pour the potion.


End file.
